#sorry about all my incisions on operacion triunfo stuff

[jackredfieldwasmyjacob]

BENIDORM FEST 2023 SONGS

Below I'll detail all 18 songs that'll compete to represent Spain in Eurovision 2023 next January at Benidorm. I'll also add some tidbits that they said in the presentation they did this morning, and they'll go in the order they used for said presentation as well cause it makes it easier for me.

Everything will be below the cut as I'll be linking the youtube videos to the songs (if there is one) and I don't want to take much unwanted space on your dashes. Here is the official spotify playlist btw, you'll be able to listen to all songs there if you prefer it.

I'll be completely impartial here, if you want more insight into my own reactions to each songs, you can search the tag 'benivivi23' in my blog <3

Finally, throughout these weeks I'll be posting the translated lyrics of the 18 songs here, in case you don't want to miss them I'll use that same tag 'benivivi23', to have everything organized (i'll also use the tags i'll use here tho so there shouldn't be any problems)

Anyways, let's start :)

AIRE BY SHARONNE

Sharonne (1976, Sabadell) is a drag queen known for winning the second season of Drag Race España. It's her second time entering the preselection for Eurovision, as she participated in the 2001 preselection within the group Trans-X. Right now she's one of the protagonists of the national tour of the drag show Gran Hotel de las Reinas.

Aire [Air] was composed by herself, Iván Torrent, and Alejandro Barroso. The song talks about liberating oneself, about taking a deep breath and continuing on. In the presentation, she said that the song was composed with the Benidorm Fest in mind, and that she was inspired by all the people that had reached out to her in social media talking about how seeing her and other drag queens thriving had helped them; it's her way of thanking them.

2. ARCADIA BY MEGARA

Megara (born in Madrid in 2015) is a self-proclaimed 'fuchsia rock' group with an aesthetic that combines dark undertones with cotton candy. They have a total of three albums and two other EPs.

Arcadia is a reference to the idea of Arcadia Felix, a Heaven on Earth. In the song, Megara makes Arcadia a virtual world where two girls fall in love and live their particular Arcadia. It was composed by Megara members Sara Jiménez Moral and Roberto La Lueta Ruiz, and their producer, Israel Dante Ramos. In the presentation, they talk about how their dream was getting into the Benidorm Fest so they've already achieved their dream, but they'll fight to go to Eurovision as well. They're also very honored to represent rock for the first time in Benidorm Fest.

3. DESDE QUE TÚ ESTÁS BY ALFRED GARCÍA

Alfred García (1997, El Prat de Llobregat) was first known as a contestant in Operación Triunfo 2017, where he ended up fourth [imo his best performance there was Maldita Dulzura]. Afterwards, he was selected to go to Eurovision 2018 with Amaia, where they sung Tu Canción. Since then, he has released 2 albums.

Desde Que Tú Estás [Since You Are Here] is a song dedicated to a person that made him rediscover and feel again things he hadn't felt in a while. The lyrics were composed by him and the music is by Raúl Gómez. In the presentation, he says that it is one of the best songs he has ever composed, and that he was inspired by love as something revolutionary.

4. EAEA BY BLANCA PALOMA

Blanca Paloma (1989, Elx) is the only returning artist to the Benidorm Fest, as she participated in the last edition with Secreto de Agua. Eaea is only her third single.

Eaea was composed by herself and José Pablo Polo, and it is a flamenco-sounding song made as a tribute to her roots and ancestors through lullabies, a sorrt of remembrance of where she came from to know where to go to. In the presentation, she said it is a tribute to her grandma, Carmen (the woman in the cover of the single).

5. FLAMENCO BY ARITZ AREN

Aritz Grau Sueira (1992, València), his stage name being Aritz Aren, is mainly known as a dancer, as his leap to fame was the dancing TV show Fama ¡A Bailar!, where he ended up as the runner up. Since then he has gained a large following on Tik Tok, and has worked in Madrid and Shanghai. In this last place, he coreographed the productions of Fame and World of Dance. Finally, he has taught dance classes at one of the best studios in Tokyo, Dance Studio.

Flamenco was composed by Carlos Marco, Frida Amundsen, Kaci Brown, Sam Gray, and Tonino Speciale. It is a song that fuses urban and latin sounds with autochtonous Spanish elements. In the presentation, he says that for him the song means the unrestraining oneself and letting yourself just feel at the beginning of a relationship. He is very happy singing it and he feels it matches quite well with him. He is also already working in the staging, and he told the interviewer that there'll be dancing in it.

6. INVIERNOS EN MARTE BY JOSÉ OTERO

José Otero (1990, Telde) became known after participating in The Voice México in 2019. Since then, he has published a number of singles and collaborations with artists like Karen Méndez.

Inviernos en Marte [Winters in Mars] is a power ballad composed by himself, Manu Chalud, Gabi Ore, Kenia Saiz, and Karen Méndez. It talks about impossible love and giving up once you realise you have lost someone you love. In the presentation he said it is a song composed to be sung live, and that the lyrics talk about vulnerability in oposition with lost. He was inspired by his father's death last year.

7. LA LOLA BY FAMOUS

Famous Oberogo (Amsterdam, 1999, raised in Bormujos) was first known as the winner of Operación Triunfo 2018 [I think we can all agree his best performance was Uptown Funk], where he participated in the preselection process for Eurovision 2019 and manifested his love for Eurovision and his wish to go someday, he even got to sing with Cesár Sampson. Since then, he has been preparing his first album with a few singles already out, and is currently playing Rafiki in the Spanish production of The Lion King, in Madrid.

La Lola [The Lola] was composed by Adrián Ghiardo, Andrés Sebastián Ramírez and Jorge de la Cruz, and talks about that feminine side everyone has, dubbed Lola in this song. In the presentation he says that Lola is fierce and fun, and that with this song he wants to start up a party and wants people to have a fun time and enjoy it. He also said that there's gonna be dancing in the staging as well as interesting 'vocal stuff'.

8. MI FAMILIA BY FUSA NOCTA

Miriam Nares Signes (1996, Gandia), best known as Fusa Nocta, rose to fame in 2019, when she was a viral contestant in the Spanish X Factor. She's been writing poetry since she was 15, and she only recently started doing music as well. She has participated in many festivals like Madcool, Puro Latino, or Arenal Sound.

Mi Familia [My Family] fuses different sounds to explore her own family, talking about both the prettiest and the darkest parts of it. She composed the song alongside Ignacio Moreno González and Carlos Padilla Linares. In the presentation she was overwhelmed as she didn't expect so many support after the song released, and revealed that the little girl who talks at the beginning and the end of the song is her baby cousin. She goes a bit more in depth about the song, saying it talks about the advice her grandmas have given her, and about how much family really means for her. She also wanted to include the crudest parts of family.

9. NOCHENTERA BY VICCO

Victoria Ribo (1996, Barcelona), best known as Vicco, has been playing the piano since she was 9, and shortly after she started writing her own music. She started her first band, Carpanta, with her own sisters, and when she was 19 she opened for Alejandro Sanz. She has since released an album, a few singles, and has composed for a multitude of artists, like Mireya Bravo, Flori, María Escarmiento, or Edurne.

Nochentera [a portmanteau of both 'noche entera' (full night, in the context it's more like 'all night'), and 'noche ochentera' (80's night)] talks about that moment when you like a person and want to do anything to see them, and so you throw up a party to be able to bump into them and dance together. It is a hymn to happiness and good vibes, it was made to feel like a party itself. In the presentation she said that a lot of stuff will be going on in stage, and that it will be lot's of fun. She also said that there's a lot of good songs in the preselection, so it's gonna be complicated to win.

10. NO NOS MOVERÁN BY MELER

Meler (formed in Madrid in 2020) is a band formed by Loren, Javi and Jonathan that started playing in the London underground and Madrid metro until the pandemic, when they were forced to look for alternate ways of doing music and created Meler. Now they have a couple singles out and have opened for Taburete.

No Nos Moverán [We Will Not Be Moved] is an energetic song made to dance, sing, and jump. It talks about that moment when you wish you could stop time to stay like that forever. It was composed by Jonathan Geraint Burt, Francisco Javier Pagalday González, Natalia Neva Martín, Oliver García Cerón, and José Héctor Portilla Rodríguez. In the presentation they said that they're working hard on the staging because it is very different to what they're used to do. They also said that the song was made with Eurovision and Europe in mind. Finally, they commented about how there's hints on how the staging will be in the music video.

(aparently you can only put ten videos per post so i'll link the rest of the videos in the titles of each song)

11. QUE ESCLATI TOT BY SIDERLAND

Siderland (formed in Barcelona in 2018) is a band formed by Uri Plana (voice and guitar), Albert Sort (bass), and Andreu Manyós (drums). They defined their sound as 'night pop', and since their debut they have played in multitude of venues in Barcelona.

Que Esclati Tot [Let Everything Explode, this might not be 100% accurate as I don't know Catalan] was composed by Siderland in collaboration with Roger Argemí. It has the typical sound of the band, and it tells the story of two lovers who react differently to a world that is collapsing; one accepts destiny and prepares themselves for whatever may happen, while the other refuses to do so and ends up alone. In the presentation they talked about how they tried to get into Benidorm Fest last year, and about how the staging is going to be explosive. This is the first song in Catalan in Benidorm Fest.

12. QUIERO ARDER BY AGONEY

Agoney Hernández (1995, Adeje) was first known as one of the contestants of Operación Triunfo 2017, ending up in 6th place [his best performance is undoubtably Eloise]. Since then he's released an album, and he's currently staring in the music contest Dúos Increíbles alongside legendary singer Ana Belén [they recently sang Eloise together!].

Quiero Arder [I Want to Burn] is an explosive song composed by Agoney himself where he gets to do complicated vocal work, as he's known for. In the presentation he threatened to burn Benidorm to the ground, and he said that he needed to made that song when he composed it, and that at first it wasn't gonna be the song he was going to present to the Benidorm Fest, but he got an impulse to do so and he went against the advice of the discography.

13. QUIERO Y DUELO BY KARMENTO

Carmen Toledo (Bogarra, Albacete), better known as Karmento, first started her musical career in 2012, when she moved to Malta. She made her first album there, and then came back to her homeland to release her second one. She self-defines herself as a 'singer-songwriter, sexologist, and lover of emotional communication', and her sound as 'neofolklore', combining the folklore of her land, La Mancha, with more modern sounds.

Quiero y Duelo [I Want and I Mourn] is a local expression of La Mancha that expresses the feeling of wanting something and battling with the pains and difficulties of trying to achieve it. She talks about her own quiero y duelo with music and also about all of those who had to abandon their roots in order to have a better life. In the presentation she said that last year watching Benidorm Fest she was impressed by the acts and wanted to send something to the contest this year because of it.

14. SAYONARA BY TWIN MELODY

Twin Melody is a group formed by the twin sisters Paula and Aitana Etxeberria (1999, Ordizia), known in all Spain thanks to their large following in Tik Tok (more than 18 million followers). They currently study Education in university and are regular guests in the late show El Hormiguero. This year they debuted in music with Ciao, a collab with Emma Muscat.

Sayonara was composed by Twin Melody, Jonathan Geraint Burt, and Natalia, and it is an empowering song about self love and leaving behind things that harm us or don't show our true selves. In the presentation they said that the song is in French, Spanish, English, and Basque, because those are the languages Twin Melody speak and they wanted to make the song as genuine as possible. They talked about how they are already preparing themselves for the staging and how they have filmed the music video. They want to combine song and dance.

15. TRACCIÓN BY RAKKY RIPPER

Raquel García Cabrerizo (1995, Granada), better known as Rakky Ripper, was one of the pioneers of Spanish hyperpop in 2019 alongside PUTOCHINOMARICÓN. Praised by artists such as Charli XCX or Dorian Electra, she was named one of the VOGUE Hot Talents 2021. She has published an EP and been in dozens of music festivals such as Sónar, ValleEléctrico, Covaleda, BIME, WarmUp, or SXSW.

Tracción [Traction] was composed by Rakky Ripper alongside Kickybombo, and it is a song with a sound that mixes hardcore, drum&bass, and techno. It talks about when you like someone but you are incapable of telling them so you just fantasize about them and the sexual tension and the fear of rejection just get entangled in all of that. In the presentation she says how Benidorm Fest is going to be a crucial point in her career, as well as a personal challenge cause he wants to give the best show ever.

16. TUKI BY SOFÍA MARTÍN

Sofía Martín (1996, Alicante) is a Hispano-German artist who uses her multicultural background to fuse different music styles and write in three languages. She has a few singles out of the dance and latin dance genres.

Tuki [aparently it's a Venezuelan word that means 'young punk', kinda like chavs in England or canis / chonis in Spain] was composed by Sofía, Freddy Rochow and Claudio Maselli, and it is a combination of Spanish and Latin rythms with European beats from dance and electronic music. It talks about being able to achieve your dreams no matter how or where you came from; tuki is that feeling when you finally achieve your goal after a long time working on it. In the presentation she says that she doesn't have any expectation in regards to Benidorm Fest, that she goes with the flow.

17. UFF! BY E'FEMME

E'FEMME (formed in 2019) is a girlband inspired by K-Pop groups and sounds, and formed by Sandy (1997, Pamplona), Melania (1998, Santa Cruz de Tenerife), BUBU (1999, Madrid), and Lottie (2000, Madrid). They want to combine all visual arts in their projects.

Uff! is a song composed by E'FEMME alongside Antonio Escobar and Barei. It is an empowering song about getting one's inside strength outside to stand your own ground. In the presentation they said that the song perfectly reflects their energy.

18. YO QUISIERA BY ALICE WONDER

Alicia Climent Barriuso (1998, Madrid), best known as Alice Wonder, is currently one of the most known artists in the Spanish indie scene. In 2017 she released her first EP, and has since released a full album and multiple collaborations with artists such as Javiera Mena.

Yo Quisiera [I Would Want] was composed by herself, and talks about the storm brewing inside someone who stops trying to understand the world and simply lives in it. Alice says that even if it seems like a pessimistic song, it is really positive, as it talks about having faith despite life's inconsistencies. In the presentation she talks about how the song was born from an improvisation in her mum's piano in a moment of shock. She also says that she really doesn't know why she's there, in the Benidorm Fest, and how all of it is really out of her comfort zone.